This is the first of two episodes with Guillaume. We ended up talking a lot about resilience. Guillaume also shared how he went on a quest of “hacking happiness” and living on purpose; to discover that what was at the root of everything else was a need for human connection… Which led him to creating Evolve Coliving: My main intention is to be around the people that I love. Love, people, connection, is the one thing that always holds me back to life, or keeps me moving forward.”

Stay tuned for the next episode, going deep on what is coliving, why is it getting so popular, and how it is changing the way we live together. (It is here 🙂 )

The starting point for Guillaume’s passion for coliving: discovering community while traveling as a teenage. “I was missing the human connection.” [01:44]

Resilience: a big yes! The difference between resilience and resistance.[07:26]

Guillaume’s breakdown & wake up call in Paris:”The cool thing about this breakdown is: I see it as one of the lowest point in my life, but also the catalyst for everything that followed after it. If I wouldn’t have gone through it, I would have remained comfortable enough. Before that I was miserable, but change would be harder than misery. At that moment I realized I needed to take responsibility for what had happened. I couldn’t continue living, expecting that eventually I’ll be happy. So it kicked off a big journey. And the journey that began then… Till today.” This breakdown was the tipping-point for everything else, and especially wanting to tackle life. [08:36]

Guillaume’s quest of “hacking happiness”: Stating what you want, and don’t want, in your life. [15:55]

My definition of resilience: Your power to stay connected to life… Even when shit happens. The feeling of being alive. [19:45]

How this quest for feeling alive & designing his life led Guillaume to experiment with different projects, like Life engineering, Life is a blast!… All leading up to Evolve coliving. [21:42]

The intention Guillaume set when going out in the world: community! I want freedom is bullshit. Freedom is a vacuum, just something you can fill with something meaningful. So what do you want to fill your freedom with? My main intention is to be around the people that I love. Love, people, connection, is the one thing that always holds me back to life, or keeps me moving forward. [27:02]

How randomness helps us evolve: doing new things, get out of your routine, makes you grow new capabilities. And gives you back a sens of who you are, because at that moment, you have to define it. You can’t hide anymore. [30:54]

Negative versus positive emotions are a myth: Any emotion, depending on the situation, can serve you or limit you. [33:07]

“Grow” resilience: We all have resilience already, sometimes we need to grow it more. It is about going through the ups and downs, staying OK while adapting to these changes. [34:57]

Who is Guillaume Perdrix

Guillaume is on a mission to democratize co-living and turn it into a global movement. After running four co-living spaces, he decided to take it further and spread the awareness around co-living and empowering others to create their own spaces. He currently also hosts Evolve Co-Living, a communal co-living space dedicated to personal growth and transformation.